A smirking groper who sexually assaulted a woman in an Aberdeen bar has been ordered to pay her £1,000 in compensation.
Martyn Anderson thought he was making a joke when he put his hand up the stranger’s dress as she posed for a picture with a friend in The Hayloft on Portland Street.
But the 38-year-old isn’t laughing anymore after being placed on the sex offenders register and ordered to pay his victim, who had been out celebrating her birthday, the four-figure sum of compensation.
The brazen attack was captured in the photograph, with Anderson seen to “smirk” and appear “extremely proud”.
Photobomber groped woman on birthday night out at Aberdeen pub
A Crown narrative of the offence states it occurred on an evening in early 2023 while the woman was celebrating her birthday in the bar with a group of family and friends.
At one point, one of her friends announced he was leaving and she asked to get a photo with him before he left.
Due to the height difference, the woman stood on a chair for the picture and, while doing so “felt the accused touch her bottom”.
Anderson put his hand up, underneath her dress and touched her bottom with an open palm.
The woman immediately turned and saw Anderson “in very close proximity” but did not want to “cause a scene” so carried on with her night.
She did disclose what happened to her parents though, who noted she appeared distressed.
The narrative stated Anderson made “repeated attempts to apologise” to the woman throughout the evening, but that she did not wish to engage and asked him to leave her alone.
Later, the woman was sent a number of photographs, including the one she had been posing for at the time of the attack, which was captured in full.
‘Backfired considerably’
The Crown narrative said: “The accused clearly has a smirk on his face and appears to be extremely proud of his deviant behaviour in sexually assaulting an unknown female.”
Anderson, of Dee Court, Aberdeen, pled guilty to a charge of sexual assault.
Defence agent Ross Taggart said his client, a father and offshore worker, had been “drinking excessively” at the time of the offence.
He went on: “He has now reduced his alcohol intake. He has taken this matter seriously in changing his lifestyle.
“He was shocked that he had done this.”
Mr Taggart said Anderson had intended it to be a “joke” but it has “backfired considerably” and now recognises it was “totally inappropriate”.
Sheriff Sean Lynch handed Anderson a 12-month supervision order and placed him on the sex offenders register for the same period.
He also ordered him to pay £1,000 in compensation to the woman.
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